The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

The government is going to backtrack on the framing of new electoral law as the Election Commission announced that the Representation of People Order (RPO) 1972 would be retained with some amendments.

Election Commissioner M Sohul Hussain yesterday said the EC has taken preparation for changing the newly approved RPO 2008, without invalidating the RPO ordinance 1972, on the growing demand from the country's political parties.

"The RPO will have to be changed in the context of country's political parties' demand," he told reporters at the Election Commission Secretariat,

hot on the heels of clamors from the major parties against the new electoral law made by the present caretaker government.

Earlier in the day, the entire hierarchy of the Election Commission headed by CEC Dr ATM Shamsul Huda met with Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed and apprised him of the latest state of preparation of the EC for the upcoming polls.

The council of advisers on July 13 approved the RPO Ordinance 2008, which provides for sweeping changes in politico-electoral field-including prohibition against the parties having political student fronts and overseas units.

Sohul Hussain said the government would finalize the amended RPO with some amendments and the translation of the provisions into English within a week or so. "Most likely so many people have to be engaged in completing the task in time," he said.

Replying to a query, the Election Commissioner said the title of the RPO could be changed if all concerned, including the political parties, felt the necessity. "We don't have any objection in this regard."

He, however, said all amendments taken by the present Election Commission would be changed or excluded from the newly RPO, which would be published in English. "Taken all amendments will remain in position. It'll be just English version," he said about the redoing exercise.

Asked if there's discussion about emergency with the Chief Adviser, Sohul Hussain said they requested the government to relax the emergency so that people do not feel any problem in going for the elections.

About Dhaka City Corporation election, he said the Commission has targeted to hold the DCC election in the last part of October or early November, before the upazila polls. "We'll hold the DCC election with full attention…We'll hold it at a convenient time in October," he said.

He informed that the draft voter list in Dhaka City Corporation could be published on July 27 and some particular inclusions in the voter list would continue. And the final voter lists would be published in September next.

About election observers, the election commissioner said that many observers from home and abroad are expressing willingness to observe the upcoming local-body elections. "Policy about them is going to be made for them," he said.

Meanwhile, there are reports that the BNP-led four-party alliance demanded withdrawal of the Representation of the People Order (RPO) Ordinance 2008 that the government approved in principle.